


Day of Devotion

by heartsblade



Category: Fire Emblem Heroes, Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening, Fire Emblem: Soen no Kiseki/Akatsuki no Megami | Fire Emblem Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn
Genre: Awkwardness, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day Fluff, also i'm working on a fic for maribelle and lissa too thats relevant to this one, anyway everybody's GAY and we STAN, in which chrom is a dumbass, listen i just love these two so much ok
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-08
Updated: 2019-02-08
Packaged: 2019-10-24 06:16:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17699198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heartsblade/pseuds/heartsblade
Summary: For the life of him, Chrom couldn’t figure out why he disliked festivals so much.





	Day of Devotion

**Author's Note:**

> dhskdhsjd I JUST LOVE THESE FOOLS... who are stupidly in love... anyway enjoy!!! also for clarification the ike in this fic (and every fic i write w/ ike in it unless specified otherwise) is radiant dawn based!
> 
> edit: y'all i just realized so many grammar mistakes i've made... HELLO?

For the life of him, Chrom couldn’t figure out why he disliked festivals so much. The times he shared with others during such special times of the year were ones he held near and dear to himself, and kept locked away in his heart to look upon fondly on days where he felt those were the only things that kept him afloat. Staying above the water of war and bracing for the torrential downpour of unexpectancies took its toll on him, though he found the will and the strength to carry himself forward if only to see to another day to fight the very same battle; rinse and repeat, at that.

“Aaand that should do it! Look, it matches! You two are soooo cute!”

Ah.

He figured it out, now.

Or rather, Lissa helped him figure it out.

“So many ribbons…” Chrom sighs, twisting as much as he could to either side to take his fill of all the red and pink ribbons and various other hair accessories that pooled around him like a rising tide. He sits cross-legged in the centre of his bed, watching with great disinterest while Lissa festoons his significant other in decorations she and Frederick deemed appropriate for the Day of Devotion Festival neither of them stopped talking about since the announcement. He recalls with great disdain the lengths his sister went to dress him up for the Winter Festival that had taken place not that long ago, so one may come to see why he’s already exhausted and at his limit with all the extras he’s forced into.

“Oh, stop complaining, Chrom! You’re just jealous Ike looks cuter than you at the moment.” Lissa gives a great harrumph and continues adding various decor to Ike’s hair, all the while Frederick busies himself with sewing and enlists Stahl to assist him in his endeavours. The outfit strewn across his lap bears all the colours of a confectionary box he once saw on display in passing; chocolate browns, candy pinks and romance reds decorate the outfit intricately. He divests himself of a groan, to which he is met with a sympathetic, though kind and knowing smile from Stahl.

“I feel ya," he says, his grin wry when he turns to face the disapproving prince.

“Worry not, my love; you have not been forgotten,” Frederick murmurs, his fingers busy with attaching a flower to an ornate bow he asked Stahl to kindly hold in place as he went about his task. “Lissa and I have taken the liberty of preparing our own outfits beforehand. I started yours not so long ago so you wouldn’t be excluded from our entourage.”

In this way, it was difficult to sympathize with Stahl. His nervousness stemmed from being given the honour of being in the company of the royal family in this event by means of Frederick; he knew not how to act, and so he tried to sit quietly, to which they all refused to allow happen. Being on the battlefield with the royal family was much different from attending a festival with them, he thinks, his eyes wandering between the prince and princess and the lord in their company. Chrom scoots down the bed to the edge where Stahl sat and absently plays with the tail of a bow left to cascade down his shoulder, which was to be cut by Frederick once he was finished. The bow sat prettily just above Stahl’s temple, with a single pearl attached to the centre of it, surrounded by a smaller halo of pearls Lissa made specifically for him. 

“Sir?” Stahl asks, his voice shaky with nervous laughter, and Chrom cheekily tosses the end of the bow over his eyes to make the older shepherd laugh. “Hey!”

“Don’t start bothering Stahl, Chrom! I’m almost done with Ike, and then it’s your turn.”

Chrom looks over to Lissa just then, his smile broad and wide at Ike’s sheepishness. He sat with one knee bent and the other extended on the floor, his foot bouncing rapidly while Lissa attaches a flower on his wine red hairband made of silk. The flower is a white carnation that stood out beautifully against the blue of his hair and the red of his band, and upon closer inspection, Chrom could see that the band was tied in a large bow and the flower itself was being fastened against it. Smaller white bows in the form of hair clips decorated the right side of his head, apparently attached to his headband, and Chrom thinks it looks adorable, even if it was a simple modification.

“What?” Ike asks, attempting to maintain a straight face, only for it to crumble at Chrom’s answering smile that he felt warm him from the inside and out. The prince walks on his knees towards Ike, dragging ribbons and miscellaneous objects across the bed as he does so to plant a kiss on his partner’s cheek. The colour there deepens into a beautiful red at that, and Ike’s gaze falls to his hands that fumbled against one another, attempting to clean nonexistent dirt from under his fingernails.

“You look adorable," Chrom says, his own hand falling away from the flower to his outfit, toying absently with one of the strings that were not yet trimmed and cleaned up. The colours of Ike’s outfit were warm toned, with wine red being the primary colour and dark gold accenting his tunic. His cape hung over one shoulder with ornate rose pins holding it in place; a red ribbon sat tied around his waist, with yet another white flower pinned there to secure the loops. The white accents tied in well with his white trousers, and if Chrom had to compare him to something, he looked as enticing and delicious as the confectionaries of his youth. “And you get all the red and white this time around, eh?”

“It suits you.”

“Don’t try to pawn your outfit off on me.”

“That obvious?”

“Quite.” He steals another kiss, and Lissa shoos him away with a wave of her hand so he wouldn’t cause further distraction for her subject. 

It was not long before Chrom found himself to be the centre of all their attentions, Stahl included. Ike and Lissa played with various accessories to figure out which best suited Chrom, while Frederick added the finishing touches to his outfit and whisked Stahl away to put on their own. Just before leaving, Stahl slipped his lord another sympathetic smile, just before the door closed and effectively left Chrom to the devices of two people who truly could not be trusted together like this.

“Maybe this will do it…”

“Hmm… maybe this one?”

“Oh, that’s pretty, Ike! You got a good eye for these things. Let’s try that.”

“Maybe this one as well?”

“Hmm…”

“Are we just about finished?” Chrom asks, his voice strained with his effort to suppress another sigh. He doesn’t get an answer, which he expected, and so he sits for another twenty minutes or so until both cretins come to an agreement on his appearance.

“There! Now all there’s left to do is put onnn the outfit!” Lissa laughs, her hands coming together in a merry clap. Ike hums his approval and gives Chrom a final once-over to make sure they hadn’t forgotten anything. In the next minute, he and Lissa disappear from his chambers to give him the privacy of changing, and it is a long, long moment before Chrom begrudgingly hauls himself from where he sat (which had been Ike’s seat while under Lissa’s tutelage) to cross the floor and find the suit laid out on a chair. 

“What in Naga’s name is all this…?” He holds up the suit with a single raised brow, before he twists it this way and that to try and figure out how to put it on. He thinks he’s got it all worked out until he gets his head through the hole meant for his arm with the brand.

There’s a knock on his door, and he just about slips and falls on what he assumes to be the cape in his attempt to get the torso piece off. “Everything alright in there?”

“Ah?” Chrom would be lying if he said he wasn’t slightly caught off guard by Ike’s voice. He must’ve taken longer than was expected of him, and some small part of him is thankful for that mercy, for he can easily ask his partner to assist him in putting the outfit on, rather than suffer the embarrassment of reclothing himself and leaving his chambers to track down his faithful knight for the task. 

“Mind if I come in?” 

“Umm… er… I guess…? I mean, yes, please do.”

“...What happened here?” Ike’s amusement can be heard clearly through the smile he tried, and failed, to conceal from his lips at Chrom’s state. Before the prince could retort, the mercenary crossed the floor and went about removing his shirt carefully so as to not disturb the delicate decorations too badly. Admittedly, Chrom was embarrassed, and he was powerless to do anything about it except stand there while Ike dressed him.

“This is mortifying.”

“It’s fine. I figured you’d have some difficulty getting it on.”

“Am I truly so hopeless?”

“Maybe.” Ike secures his cape with a smile, and bends down to steal a kiss from his flustered prince. “But it’s okay. That’s why you have me.”

“No.” Chrom grabs at his waist and pulls him close, his head craned upward to meet Ike’s smug smile. “That’s why you have me.”

“That’s why we have each other,” Ike compromises, bending to close the distance and give his prince a gentle kiss.

“Alright.” Chrom can’t disagree with that, at least not fully. Instead of pulling away to meet the others in the hall, they stand like this, arms around one another, gently swaying back and forth to a silent melody that seemed to only exist within themselves and their minds. Chrom chuckles when Ike runs the back of his hand down the side of his face, and feeling emboldened, Chrom takes his hand and presses a kiss to the tanned skin there with reverence, each knuckle loved and cared for to remind Ike he is so thoroughly and wholly loved that it truly held no humour, and no love Chrom felt for another could hold a candle to what he feels in their shared elation, in this proximity. He feels that Ike wants to ask him something, or perhaps bring something to his attention, given his body language and that somewhat frustrated look on his face he had when he couldn’t find the right words to say. 

“Oh THERE you are! Sheesh! Come on, lovebirds!” Lissa’s voice is loud and booming, just alike the sound of Chrom’s chamber doors slamming against the wall. Behind her are Stahl and Frederick, both wearing white button downs and similar vests, the exception being that one is pink and the other is red, respectively. Both men wear red ribbons tied around their wrists, coordinated so when they held hands, they mirrored one another. Chrom pales when he sees just how simplistic their outfits are in contrast to he and Ike’s.

“Forgive us, milord. We tried to halt her advances…” Frederick begins, looking between the men with a look of exasperation. “Thankfully, you two kept it civil…”

“Ci-civil?” Chrom stammers, voice pitched with incredulity at the implication left to hang in the air. Ike simply laughs into the back of his hand and Stahl looks pointedly up at the ceiling. Miraculously, it went right over Lissa’s head. She grabbed both lords by their hands and started dragging them out the doors and into the Askran halls filled with many a hero dressed in similar garb, all ready to have their fill of the day’s festivities. Chrom turns to Ike worriedly, his expression nothing short of panicked, to which he is met with a soft laugh, something warm and knowing from the back of Ike’s throat that made the prince feel that the day wouldn’t go so terribly as he feared it would.

On the way to town, Lissa began to fret awfully over Maribelle, occasionally jogging ahead to close some of the distance quicker if only to rid her significant other’s surmounting worry all that much faster. It would seem the duchess went off ahead, and her reasoning was just as silly as it was endearing: she wished to be surprised by her beloved’s attire, at the expense of her well being over Lissa’s safety. 

Maribelle is sure not to be disappointed in either of their attire, he thinks, giving each of them a glance over to see everything now that they’ve come together like this. Ike’s collar dips sharply over his chest in a v-cut, bordered with gold and darker shades of red to compliment. His white pants are tucked into thigh-high boots with ornate gold roses embroidered on the top, his sword festooned with ribbons and flowers and very impractical for battle, the prince notes, though it looked lovely all the same. Beside him is Frederick, simplistic in comparison to their attire, with a red satin vest over a white button down, his sleeves rolled to his elbows, his wrist accentuated with a red ribbon with a flower attached, his pants an identical shade to Ike’s. He notices that Frederick forwent the hair decorations, and whatever he chose to opt out of, Stahl inherited with taste. The bow he played with before was noticeably shorter, with pearls doting him like a crown. His sleeves were rolled up too, and just above where the rolled cuffs ended, a small pocket can be seen with a single red rose held there, a string of pearls tied to its stem. He turns to his liege with a smile, and Chrom sees a cravat hanging over his chest, further accentuated with a large red flower and gold chains. He’s absolutely positive the shepherd never had so much gold and pearls attached to him at one time; he gives him a smile, and a thumbs up to ward off any insecurity he may have felt with having a prince study him so closely.

He and Lissa were nearly matching, he thinks, as he shifts his gaze to his sister. Her dress is largely brown and gold, with red layered between so that her corset was red and held in place with a chocolate brown ribbon criss-crossing all the way up her chest and tied in a bow. Similarly coloured fabric fell from her exposed shoulders and were tied to her wrists, where a red satin bracelet of her own sat. Gold heart chains hung over her bodice and sat snugly against her throat like a choker, and Chrom notices with a laugh that she took to decorating her staff similarly. His own outfit boast similar colours, and he realizes with a sniff that this was the outfit Frederick had been working on in his room. The v-cut of his own collar plunged further than Ike’s, stopping just above his navel, small gold chains fastened to buttons leading down to where his gold sash had been tied. He opted to carry a basket instead of his usual weapon, and inside the basket had been various sorts of candies Gaius arranged specifically to compliment his outfit.

In all honesty?

He felt ridiculous.

He felt even more ridiculous upon entering town and effectively attracting everyone’s attention. He received all sorts of compliments on his outfit, and some begged to know who did his hair and where he found all those accessories. He felt the urge to tear off all the ribbons and pearls and tuck them away in his basket, and he had been about to do just that, when Ike snatched his wrist with a laugh and pulled him close.

“None of that.” He says, gently lacing their fingers together. “You look great.”

“I look foolish.”

“Foolishly great.” Ike amends, gently swinging their hands as they made their way through the crowds and the stalls to the fountain where Maribelle said to meet. “Lissa had a blast with this one, eh?”

“She never fails to remind me why I dislike these occasions," Chrom huffs, his expression a pout when he sees Maribelle and Lissa embrace and exchange a kiss. “She really wanted to give it her all in the tournament. I just wish I didn’t have to change, is all…”

“You changed your outfit once,” the mercenary says, carefully running his fingers through his hair to avoid jostling the arrangement there, “you can survive doing it again.”

Afterwards, they take their own path and weave their way through the festival at their own pace, hand in hand, holding meaningless conversation as they waited for the tournament to begin. They tried an assortment of things Chrom never truly allowed himself to indulge in before, like trying treats and engaging with game booths that offered handsome prizes to high scorers. His penchant for destroying things came in handy with a test of strength involving repurposed training dummies, to which he was awarded with a large teddy bear he allowed Ike to carry for him under his arm. 

No sooner had they finished that activity did they find themselves participating in a footrace. There, they were both outmatched by Stahl, and Ike insisted on a rematch, where he found himself competing against Frederick instead, with their partners sharing a laugh as they watched them both terrify and amaze the other onlookers.

“He’s fast for a big guy, eh?”

“Imagine getting chased by those two!” Stahl’s voice is coloured with excitement and amazement when they zoomed past. “I’d freeze up and turn to dust on impact.”

“I wonder how many times they’ll try to best each other.” Chrom wonders, his hand cupping his chin where they lean against a fence. “Frederick’s drive to compete and Ike’s willingness to prove himself will be their downfall, I daresay.”

“At least they’re having fun.” 

And it’s true, they were both in high spirits, their stoicism falling away until each match ended with a laugh, a shake, and sometimes a quarrel over who was faster. 

“Y’know… you two look really happy together.”

“Hmm?” Chrom’s attention is pulled from his companions to the shepherd beside him, who propped himself on the fence with his elbows so his hands hung over the edge carelessly. Between them sat the teddy bear Chrom had acquired earlier, acting as a third member of their support team for the men engaged in yet another round.

“Yeah,” Stahl continues, “you and Ike have something special. You probably think I don’t notice these things, but I can tell how much he affects you. You’re always… smiling. It might not make a huge difference to you, but for us, it makes us light of heart knowing our leader is in high spirits and has someone there to support him.”

“You… can tell?” Truthfully, Chrom didn’t notice the profound change he seemed to have underwent since he and Ike began their whirlwind affair of love they knew not how to communicate to one another just yet, though felt their connection just the same; a bond so strong as to never be broken, not by fate or otherwise. He knows he fares better in battle with his loved one by his side, and he knows the weight of the nation he was born to bear across his shoulders need not be done alone, nor the stress of it to be dealt singularly. Stahl flashes him a look, something that told Chrom he knew all of this without it ever having to be said, and he feels himself flush at that.

“Mm-hmm.” Stahl replies, and he nods towards the basket set next to the bear. “I can tell you wanna ask him something, too.”

“I…”

“Forgive me, captain, for overstepping my boundaries.”

“Not at all, Stahl. And please, call me Chrom. It’s… well… you’re not wrong. About any of that.”

“Oh, I know.” Stahl beams. “I know he wants to ask you something, too.”

“Do… do you, now?”

“Yep. It’s not hard to read either of you. What do you think he and Frederick have been talking about during the race?”

“Wa-wait… hold on… come again?” Chrom pales, the thought of Frederick coercing Ike into proposing sending thunder to the pit of his stomach. 

“Oh, yeah. Frederick’s known since forever… he’s actually getting his bless-- um, sir? I mean Chrom? Where are you… going…”

Before Stahl could finish that thought, Chrom leapt the fence and launched into a dead run the moment his feet hit the ground. His ribbon danced behind him as he ran, and so fast did he move that he nearly toppled onto his face, his knees weak with adrenaline.

Had he stayed and heard the rest of what Stahl said, he would not be jumping to the conclusions he does at present, his heart in his ears and his stomach at his throat. He feared Ike to be pressured into such an arrangement, what with his stance on being a lord and how he shirked from his duties when he held such a title to become a mercenary once more. He feared Frederick to say the wrong thing, to come off strongly, and all it would serve to do is scare Ike away. The thought of it all makes him weak, and he falters due to stumbling over uneven ground.

All he knew at the moment is that he had to put an end to this, and so caught up had he been in his thoughts that he ran smack into Ike without fully realizing it was him until his arms wrapped around his waist to catch him. Ike rights him instantly, his arms enveloping him in a slack embrace, and when he turns his gaze upward, he sees concern sharpening his youthful features. The look there is mirrored by Frederick, who steps in close to examine his liege for wounds or blood.

“Milord! Are you alright? Is the town under attack?” Frederick asks, his calm demeanour broken only by a quirk of his brow. It takes a moment for Chrom to fully realize they’d long since moved away from the race, having finished by the time he hopped the fence, and were standing aside to converse. Just what they were talking about, Chrom had but one idea, and it was this idea alone that rendered him on the verge of hysterics with his panic.

“Ah… hah? N… no… not at all…” The prince is nigh breathless, his panting interrupting him from getting his words out clearly and concisely. “Just… wanted a chat… ah… what were you two… hah… discussing?”

“We were going over a strategy to make running more efficient, and we elected to employ Robin’s insight to see where we should go from there. Gods, are you unwell? Why, you look as if taken with fever!”

“Oh! Hah… haha… not at all, friend… I… could do with some… water… hehe… whew, that’s good…” This time, Chrom sags into Ike with relief, and had it not been for the strength of his arms, he would have crumpled to the ground with his exhale.

“As you wish, milord. I’ll make haste.”

Once Chrom’s caught his breath and Frederick went away to procure some refreshments, the prince got himself in order in the time it took for Ike to find them somewhere suitable to sit. Beneath a large oak tree, similar to the one belonging to the Askran courtyard, they sat together closely, with Chrom heavily leaning against his beloved for support, his body unable to hold itself up at the moment. Ike sat silently, merely listening to the other man gather his wits about him and level out his breathing, instead busying himself and his mind with a myriad of things that were also cause for worry. One of these things happened to be Chrom avoiding him for the past few days; always the first to leave a sparring session and offer no singular reason for his odd behaviour, which is why he doted on him more than usual on this day, biding his time until the moment was right to broach the subject. Now, after what had taken place earlier, Ike knew it could wait no longer, though he knew it was for the sake of propriety he sat silently until Chrom was in a state to discuss something of that nature.

“Do you want to talk about what happened earlier?” Ike prompts, effectively breaking the silence they comfortably basked in. Chrom visibly tenses at that, and he keeps his head low to avoid making eye contact.

“Right… earlier…” How is he to explain this away? Chrom knew better than to lie; he did, and yet he found himself striving for an excuse nonetheless to prolong the inevitable. “It’s… well…” 

“Forgive me for being so forward, but… now that we’re alone, do you wanna tell me why you’ve been avoiding me? I noticed you disappear the moment we end our sparring sessions, and how little you’ve taken to telling me when I ask you if something is the matter. Tell me, Chrom, have I hurt you in some way?” The look that passes over Ike gives cause for Chrom’s stomach to sink again, for it to become a ball of hard steel and make him feel ill with it. All these questions were not without answers, though they were without courage to be said, to be acknowledged, and yet Chrom thought he could  
do away with it all in that instant if it meant to see the last of that severe look in his eye.

“No,” Chrom simply says, shifting his body to take hold of Ike’s hands and look him sternly in the eye. “Nothing could be further from the truth, darling.”

“I know all of this is a… bad time to bring it up. I have a good reason for it, though, if you’ll bear with me… I ask because this is the only time we’ve really spent together, with an opportunity such as this one to speak what’s in our hearts and on our minds.”

“Yes, of course. I have something I’d like to say, too… and it will also provide an explanation for my earlier antics.” The feeling he felt before returns now, tightening in his stomach, his heart beating erratically as it had moments ago. Ike’s been more straightforward and honest with his feelings, something he had not been before, and so the fact he called him out for his previous behaviour is not as shocking as it should be. It makes sense why Ike was more tender and gentle in their time together, how hesitant he had been back in his chambers, and he thinks this is exactly what he meant to say back then.

“I haven’t overwhelmed you springing all this on you at once, have I?”

“Not at all. I’m glad you did, if anything. I wouldn’t have broached the subject myself had it not been for you. Which… isn’t fair--”

“Say no more,” Ike laughs, his expression softening enough for Chrom to feel more comfortable with where this conversation is likely to take them. “Oh, um… did you wanna go first?”

“Er… it’s fine… you can do the honours.”

“Alright.”

Silence.

Nothing else is said from either of them. Ike starts picking at the grass beside his knee and Chrom plays with a chain on his outfit.

“Um… Ike?”

“Hmm?” The mercenary’s head snaps up, his hand closed around some strands of grass. “Yeah?”

“You… wanted to say something…?”

“Er, yes… I suppose I did…”

There’s that look again.

“If you’re not comfortable…”

“No, no, I… I can do this.”

“Are you sure?”

“Unless you wish to go first?” Ike almost sounds hopeful at that.

“No, I’m quite alright with waiting my turn.”

“I just… don’t… know how to say this,” Ike sighs, his bottom lip caught between his teeth, his frustration clear and overriding any attempts he’d been making previously to veil it. See, he may have gotten more forward with his feelings, but that certainly had not meant he’d gotten better with his words and finding the right things to say, or the right tone for it. Chrom remembers this look, not from his chambers, but from the night they confessed, the night they made the other the happiest man all across the realms; the same look he saw on Ike the night the mercenary asked him quietly if he could kiss him, and Chrom laughed at how difficult he made the simple request seem simply because he didn’t know how to say it.

“Just say it, then.” Chrom prompts, his hand coming to clasp gently over one of Ike’s fists. “Take all the time you need.”

“You’re sure you don’t want to go first?” 

“Well,” Chrom sighs, his free hand coming to scratch at his temple with discomfort, “seeing how you continue to ask me that, I suppose I’ll take a page from my own book and just come out with it.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No apology needed, I… well… this is my fault,” Chrom begins, his face becoming a beautiful scarlet hue that Ike couldn’t resist caressing with a free hand, “and I just… I… rrgh!” He slaps his thigh, his agitation overcoming his embarrassment and for a moment, Ike worries he enraged Chrom with his incessant questioning, until the prince speaks again. “Why are words so damn hard?! You know what? I’m gonna say it!”

“Okay!”

“I’m gonna come out with it!”

“Yeah!”

“Prepare yourself for what I’m about to say, and I don’t care if you run away and hide from me because of the embarrassment!”

“That’s the spirit, Chrom!” 

“I… I…” Chrom inhales, his chest expanding with the greatness of it, and he exhales, his flush darkening several shades so it fared no better than the rest of him. “I… love you.”

“... That’s it? That’s what you wanted to tell me?” He winces at the incredulity in Ike’s voice, and before he could metaphorically crawl in a hole and die, Ike embraced him tightly and kissed him just as handsomely, his fingers tipping his chin upward, his left hand gripping Chrom’s clothed shoulder. “All this, over something you’ve said to me more than once. You avoided me for this?”

“Not… not for this… but for this.”

He reaches into his basket to withdraw a small red velvet box; he pulls the lid open (and off entirely, with shaky fingers, which his nervousness is to be accounted for) to unveil a ring, a signet ring bearing the emblem of the royal house of Ylisse. He tosses the lid of the box to the side and removes the ring to hold it up for Ike to gaze upon, and the entirety of his mien is something to behold, something that replaces the steel in his stomach with butterflies, that fills his heart with hope and gives it wings to soar high, and higher, still, with his surmounting elation.

“Chrom… is that…?”

“My parents had it made for me when I was born. I've always kept it close, and I see no reason to change that now.” He’s breathless, nigh hysterical, a laugh beginning to bubble from his throat when Ike slides it on his finger. “It’ll always be close to me, only attached to someone just as close, if not closer, for the rest of my life… if he should accept.”

“It’s… it’s funny.” Ike takes him by surprise with a laugh, something hearty and sincere, coming from a place he thought to be long abandoned, hidden away in the depths of his beating heart.

“Funny…?” 

“Yeah.” He lifts his hips from the ground to gain proper access to his back pocket, thereupon he produces a ring, a large gold ring inset with an impossibly blue stone that stole the breath away from Chrom’s lungs. “I was working up to this, too…”

“Ike…”

“This is the ring my father gave to my mother. When she passed away, he kept it for her. The day before he died, he gave this ring to me, and told me to give it to someone I loved and would love for the rest of my life, and I would die loving, until my last breath, as he loved my mother… as she loved him.” He continues to speak, even as he slides the ring onto the other’s hand. “I know I still have so much to do and to work on before I can become anywhere near as great of a man as my father, but… for now… I have another focus in mind.”

“Oh?” Chrom felt terrible for not being able to say much else than that, what with his heart in his throat and a sob in his chest at all Ike had to say, though he could hardly be held accountable for being reduced to monosyllabic responses. Everything Ike said, every word, the meaning, the information, it tugged at his heartstrings and he felt overwhelmed with everything that came with being so stupidly in love, he knew not how to act, to convey, other than know in his heart of hearts that he would die a happy man and loving Ike until the bitter end, if one were to be had.

“I want to be the hero you see in me, and to make you the happiest man all across the realm… and the other realms, too… if you’ll accept.” Ike finishes, gently turning the ring around on Chrom’s finger. 

“You really think I would decline, after all that’s been said and done?”

“I don’t… know how this works.” Ike admits, his face flush with embarrassment, though not from what Chrom thought it would be, or what he had promised, rather. 

“Well… the rings are already on our fingers.” 

“No turning back now.”

“Nope.” He hoists himself across Ike’s lap to kiss him, strong hands coming to rest on his shoulders that gripped tightly, possessively, his heart loud in his ears as he prolongs it into something deeper, Ike’s hands coming to wrap around his waist. 

Oh!

He pulls away and settles his weight atop Ike’s thighs and his own knees into a kneeling position. “I’ve been meaning to ask…”

“Yes?”

“Is it true you sought Frederick’s blessing?”

“I… might’ve.”

“So he really was in on this… ”

"And this is why you've avoided me for so long?" Ike lifts up his hand to show off the ring newly adorning it. "Y'know, it might've only been a few days, but it felt like an eternity." 

"Well, that's all sorted and done away with," Chrom gently bats his hand away with a smile, before he takes that very hand into his own once more to press a kiss to it, "and now all we do is wait for Frederick to return. I wonder if this is why he's taking so long..."

“Indeed, milord. We’ve been here quite some time, merely waiting for the right opportunity to make our presences known.”

“Just… HOW long have you been standing there?” The prince clambers from his newly betrothed’s lap, where he sees Frederick and Stahl waiting with glasses of something or other that looked festival appropriate with its obnoxiously pink colour. He recalls asking for water, though he supposes Frederick wouldn't accept anything that wouldn't have his approval first and foremost... unless it was meant to distract him.

“Not long, I’m afraid. We came in time to hear your outburst. Milady and her betrothed left out of impatience… quite frankly, we’re all amazed you managed things sorted before the day drew to a close.”

“LISSA WAS HERE?!”

“Um…” Stahl looks uncomfortably between them, his smile nervous, his laugh equal to what he expressed with his looks alone. Tucked in his side is the teddy bear Chrom left behind at the fence, and seeing how things have progressed thus far, he takes it upon himself to be its guardian until they return to the castle. “The tournament’s about to begin…”

“Guess it’s time we go.” With that, Ike gently extricates himself from Chrom’s weight and offers a hand to help him up. He appears to be significantly unaffected by the events currently unfolding, not a trace of embarrassment to be read in his features, unlike his beloved, who looked as if he were about to combust with his emotions. "I’ve a few battles to win in your honour, huh?”

“Er… do you, now?” He asks, taking the hand and using it for leverage to pull himself into a standing position. The earlier embarrassment had yet to leave him, and so he appeared just as disoriented and unsure as a man would have every right to be in this predicament. He shoots Frederick a glare, something be thought would cut through steel and fire, only to be met with a laugh, and the blade of his look is bent, warped, and wholly ineffective instead. 

“And some drinks to quench milords’ throats.” Frederick adds, offering each man their drinks before he turns to take his own from Stahl’s hand. “We’d better make haste, the first round is about to commence.”

It isn’t long before they make their way to the tournament grounds, where Ike and Chrom were met with knowing looks from Maribelle and Lissa, who were waiting for them to join. Lissa was the first to make a scene of it, taking both her brother’s and his betrothed’s hands into her own to gaze upon their rings. Chrom’s earlier bashfulness returns tenfold, trying frantically and in vain to remove his hand from his sister’s.

“WHOAAA, YOU GUYS ACTUALLY DID IT!” She exclaims, her gaze shifting between the rings on either man’s hand, her mouth agape with her amazement. “We left too soon, Maribelle! I wanted to see my brother embarrass himself in real time! Frederick, you HAVE to tell me everything!”

“On the contrary, milady, you left not a moment too soon,” the knight says, alluding to Chrom and Ike’s indecency that garners yet another look that paled in comparison to the glare before.

“Quiet now, Lissa! You’re causing a scene!” Chrom hisses, though his words bore no heat; she laughs instead, full of mirth and joy, simply pleased with no longer being the only royal to be married, and before her brother, at that. “Y’know, just when I start think festivals aren’t all that bad…”


End file.
